THE ‘darkest of dark comedies’ is the latest play to take to the Harlequin Theatre stage in Northwich.

The cast and crew at the Queen Street theatre are hard at work bringing to life Silence, which will be showing between April 20 and 23.

Moira Buffini's Silence is a dark comedy where Shakespeare's cross dressers meet Monty Python's blithering knights at the end of the first millennium. 

It takes us back a thousand years to the English 'Dark Ages' and the reign of King Ethelred, set between Canterbury and Cumbria.

The play is a comedy at heart, albeit with some serious situations.

Writer Buffini has a huge raft of credits in British theatre and film.

Brought up in Northwich, she now lives in London, and advocates big, imaginative plays rather than naturalistic soap opera dramas – making them quite difficult to stage.

Silence takes place over 27 scenes across England, including Kent, London, York, Tynemouth and Cumbria – in a barn, forest, bedchamber, courtyard, chapel and even a ship.

Ed Green, director, said: “I have wanted to do this play for more than a decade.

“And now I have found a theatre, cast and crew prepared to take the risk of such a big undertaking.

“In a theatre without a fly tower and with limited space, I have opted for what I call ‘total theatre’ where even some of the normally backstage activities will be clearly visible.

“Audiences should bring active imaginations, where changes are affected by light and sound not, by set and usual exits and entrances.

“I would describe the play as the darkest of dark comedies.”

It is 17 years since Ed first directed a play at the Harlequin – which was also a dark comedy.

He has had a varied acting and directorial career in more than 20 theatres.

For more information and Silence tickets, visit harlequinplayers.com and ticketsource.co.uk/harlequintheatre.